Mick McCarthy is eager to keep Shane Higgs

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy is prepared to offer his third-choice goalkeeper Shane Higgs the chance to stay at Molineux on loan until the end of the season – but only if that is in the best interests of the player.

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy is prepared to offer his third-choice goalkeeper Shane Higgs the chance to stay at Molineux on loan until the end of the season – but only if that is in the best interests of the player.

Higgs joined Wolves from League One outfit Cheltenham Town until the end of the January transfer window as cover for regular keepers Wayne Hennessey and Carl Ikeme.

With Ikeme out with a back strain, Higgs has been called upon in support of Welsh international Hennessey and McCarthy says he would love to keep him for the remainder of the season.

The boss said: “Carl is not right. There is no real need to rush him – we just want to get him fit.

“Shane Higgs is with us until the end of January, beginning of February, but we will have a look at that before the end of the transfer window.

“Whatever we do, however, is governed by Shane. He wants to play regularly. He is 30-plus and I would like to take him for the rest of the season but that will be determined by him.”

McCarthy said that while he was eager to keep the impressive keeper, he did not want to prevent the player getting regular football elsewhere should the chance arise.

With his chances at Wolves somewhat limited by the pecking order, Higgs may want to look for a regular starting place elsewhere.

“If someone wants to come in and wants him to play I am not going to try and stand in his way,” McCarthy said.

“But we would love to take him on loan for the rest of the season.

“We are near the end of the window and, if he is not going anywhere to play, then we will keep him.

“That is in fairness to him. We would like to try and do something with him if we can.”